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Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids

Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids
Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids
Abstract
Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane-spanning lipids from Bacteria and Archaea that are ubiquitous in a range of natural archives and especially abundant in peat. Previous work demonstrated that the distribution of bacterial branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) in mineral soils is correlated to environmental factors such as mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH. However, the influence of these parameters on brGDGT distributions in peat is largely unknown. Here we investigate the distribution of brGDGTs in 470 samples from 96 peatlands around the world with a broad mean annual air temperature (−8 to 27 °C) and pH (3–8) range and present the first peat-specific brGDGT-based temperature and pH calibrations. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cyclisation of brGDGTs in peat is positively correlated with pH, pH = 2.49 × CBTpeat + 8.07 (n = 51, R2 = 0.58, RMSE = 0.8) and the degree of methylation of brGDGTs is positively correlated with MAAT, MAATpeat (°C) = 52.18 × MBT5me′ − 23.05 (n = 96, R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 4.7 °C). These peat-specific calibrations are distinct from the available mineral soil calibrations. In light of the error in the temperature calibration (∼4.7 °C), we urge caution in any application to reconstruct late Holocene climate variability, where the climatic signals are relatively small, and the duration of excursions could be brief. Instead, these proxies are well-suited to reconstruct large amplitude, longer-term shifts in climate such as deglacial transitions. Indeed, when applied to a peat deposit spanning the late glacial period (∼15.2 kyr), we demonstrate that MAATpeat yields absolute temperatures and relative temperature changes that are consistent with those from other proxies. In addition, the application of MAATpeat to fossil peat (i.e. lignites) has the potential to reconstruct terrestrial climate during the Cenozoic. We conclude that there is clear potential to use brGDGTs in peats and lignites to reconstruct past terrestrial climate.
GDGT; Biomarker; Peatland; Calibration; Lignite
0016-7037
285-301
Naafs, B.D.A.
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Inglis, G.N.
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Zheng, Y.
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Amesbury, M.J.
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Biester, H.
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Blewett, J.
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Burrows, M.A.
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del Castillo Torres, D.
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Chambers, F.M.
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Evershed, R.P.
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Feakins, S.J.
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Gałka, M.
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Gallego-Sala, A.
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Gray, D.M.
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Hatcher, P.G.
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Honorio Coronado, E.N.
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Hughes, P.D.M.
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Könönen, M.
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Laggoun-Défarge, F.
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Lähteenoja, O.
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Lamentowicz, M.
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Marchant, R.
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McClymont, E.
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Pontevedra-Pombal, X.
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Ponton, C.
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Pourmand, A.
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Rizzuti, A.M.
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Rochefort, L.
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Schellekens, J.
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De Vleeschouwer, F.
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Pancost, R.D.
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Naafs, B.D.A.
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Inglis, G.N.
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Zheng, Y.
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Amesbury, M.J.
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Biester, H.
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Bindler, R.
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Blewett, J.
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del Castillo Torres, D.
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Chambers, F.M.
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Feakins, S.J.
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Gałka, M.
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Hatcher, P.G.
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Honorio Coronado, E.N.
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Hughes, P.D.M.
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Huguet, A.
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Könönen, M.
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Laggoun-Défarge, F.
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McClymont, E.
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Pontevedra-Pombal, X.
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Ponton, C.
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Pourmand, A.
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Rizzuti, A.M.
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Rochefort, L.
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Schellekens, J.
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De Vleeschouwer, F.
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Pancost, R.D.
9c292304-2b42-4b50-9cf4-07574924255c

Naafs, B.D.A., Inglis, G.N., Zheng, Y., Amesbury, M.J., Biester, H., Bindler, R., Blewett, J., Burrows, M.A., del Castillo Torres, D., Chambers, F.M., Cohen, A.D., Evershed, R.P., Feakins, S.J., Gałka, M., Gallego-Sala, A., Gandois, L., Gray, D.M., Hatcher, P.G., Honorio Coronado, E.N., Hughes, P.D.M., Huguet, A., Könönen, M., Laggoun-Défarge, F., Lähteenoja, O., Lamentowicz, M., Marchant, R., McClymont, E., Pontevedra-Pombal, X., Ponton, C., Pourmand, A., Rizzuti, A.M., Rochefort, L., Schellekens, J., De Vleeschouwer, F. and Pancost, R.D. (2017) Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 208, 285-301. (doi:10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.038).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Abstract
Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane-spanning lipids from Bacteria and Archaea that are ubiquitous in a range of natural archives and especially abundant in peat. Previous work demonstrated that the distribution of bacterial branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) in mineral soils is correlated to environmental factors such as mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH. However, the influence of these parameters on brGDGT distributions in peat is largely unknown. Here we investigate the distribution of brGDGTs in 470 samples from 96 peatlands around the world with a broad mean annual air temperature (−8 to 27 °C) and pH (3–8) range and present the first peat-specific brGDGT-based temperature and pH calibrations. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cyclisation of brGDGTs in peat is positively correlated with pH, pH = 2.49 × CBTpeat + 8.07 (n = 51, R2 = 0.58, RMSE = 0.8) and the degree of methylation of brGDGTs is positively correlated with MAAT, MAATpeat (°C) = 52.18 × MBT5me′ − 23.05 (n = 96, R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 4.7 °C). These peat-specific calibrations are distinct from the available mineral soil calibrations. In light of the error in the temperature calibration (∼4.7 °C), we urge caution in any application to reconstruct late Holocene climate variability, where the climatic signals are relatively small, and the duration of excursions could be brief. Instead, these proxies are well-suited to reconstruct large amplitude, longer-term shifts in climate such as deglacial transitions. Indeed, when applied to a peat deposit spanning the late glacial period (∼15.2 kyr), we demonstrate that MAATpeat yields absolute temperatures and relative temperature changes that are consistent with those from other proxies. In addition, the application of MAATpeat to fossil peat (i.e. lignites) has the potential to reconstruct terrestrial climate during the Cenozoic. We conclude that there is clear potential to use brGDGTs in peats and lignites to reconstruct past terrestrial climate.

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Accepted/In Press date: 18 January 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 31 January 2017
Published date: 1 July 2017
Keywords: GDGT; Biomarker; Peatland; Calibration; Lignite
Organisations: Palaeoenvironment Laboratory (PLUS), Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 408678
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/408678
ISSN: 0016-7037
PURE UUID: c3bce776-88a5-40c9-98be-2ebf4c7b947a
ORCID for P.D.M. Hughes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8447-382X

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Date deposited: 26 May 2017 04:01
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:02

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Contributors

Author: B.D.A. Naafs
Author: G.N. Inglis
Author: Y. Zheng
Author: M.J. Amesbury
Author: H. Biester
Author: R. Bindler
Author: J. Blewett
Author: M.A. Burrows
Author: D. del Castillo Torres
Author: F.M. Chambers
Author: A.D. Cohen
Author: R.P. Evershed
Author: S.J. Feakins
Author: M. Gałka
Author: A. Gallego-Sala
Author: L. Gandois
Author: D.M. Gray
Author: P.G. Hatcher
Author: E.N. Honorio Coronado
Author: P.D.M. Hughes ORCID iD
Author: A. Huguet
Author: M. Könönen
Author: F. Laggoun-Défarge
Author: O. Lähteenoja
Author: M. Lamentowicz
Author: R. Marchant
Author: E. McClymont
Author: X. Pontevedra-Pombal
Author: C. Ponton
Author: A. Pourmand
Author: A.M. Rizzuti
Author: L. Rochefort
Author: J. Schellekens
Author: F. De Vleeschouwer
Author: R.D. Pancost

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